"The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution." Paul Cezanne

Venezuela bans Coke Zero

June 11, 2009

The government of Venezuela today banned the sale of Coke Zero citing “unspecified dangers to health.”

“The product should be withdrawn from circulation to preserve the health of Venezuelans,” the country’s health minister, Jesus Mantilla, told Coca-Cola and the world.

Coke Zero, a variation of Diet Coke aimed at young men, was launched in Venezuela in April with the aim of doubling Coca-Cola’s share of the low-calorie soft drinks market. It contains two artificial sweeteners that have been deemed essentially harmless by the FDA: aspartame and acesulfame potassium—known as Ace-K (though both sweeteners are the subject of controversy concerning their health effects).

One or both of those ingredients, may be the reason for the ban. Another could be cyclamate. Coca-cola has removed the controversial sweetner from its Coke Zero formula in Mexico. The US banned it in 1969 over possible cancer links but is now considering permitting its use. The soft drinks giant insists sodium cyclamate is safe.